The worrying number of young women who are not having vital cancer checks in Devon would be enough to half-fill Sandy Park stadium - the rugby home of Exeter Chiefs.

In Plymouth, the number of 25 to 29 year olds would fill its popular indoor venue Plymouth Pavilions, and in Torbay it would fill the Riviera Conference Centre.

New data for 2017/18 has been revealed during Cervical Cancer Prevention Week which shows how many women are eligible for cervical screening and how many actually take up the offer.

Plymouth Pavilions

In Devon, out of the 22,456 women aged 25 to 29 who sent screening invitations but didn’t go was 6,345. There was also a dip in the number being screened in the last 3.5 years and five years, reducing 70 per cent to 67 per cent.

For women aged between 25 to 64 years old, the number eligible was 192,889 and those who failed to attend was 14,263. It represents 78 per cent screened in the past five years.

Every day nine women in the UK are diagnosed with cervical cancer and two women will lose their lives to the disease.

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women under 35 but is largely preventable thanks to cervical screening and the HPV vaccination programme.

But the number of women aged 25 to 29 years of age being screened for cervical cancer is the lowest in any age group and numbers attending for screening are falling year on year.

Surveys undertaken by cancer charities indicate embarrassment and a lack of understanding of the causes of cervical cancer may be behind the fall in numbers attending.

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However, the number of women dying from cervical cancer has halved over the past 28 years as a result of the NHS screening programme as well as improvements in treatment.

Despite this success over 5,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. Some of these women diagnosed with cervical cancer have delayed coming forward for screening which has impacted on their ability to have early changes treated.

The latest cervical cancer screening figures for the south west

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week runs from January 22 to 28 and aims to raise awareness of the importance of cervical screening and its role in preventing cancer, as well as encouraging women to go for their screening test when invited.

Dr Julie Yates, lead consultant for Screening and Immunisation for NHS England and Public Health England in the south west, said: “We have noticed a fall in attendance of younger women over the past few years, and are concerned that this trend may increase due to misunderstanding of the level of protection that the HPV vaccination offers.

“The first girls who were vaccinated against HPV are now eligible for screening as they reach their 25th birthday. Although they are protected against the two most-common HPV types that cause 70 per cent of cervical cancers, the risk is not completely eliminated and screening is still an important part of preventing cancer.

A lab test view of cervical cancer

“It’s really important for women to understand the importance of attending cervical screening when they receive a letter from their GP as it can detect pre-cancer abnormalities, which, if left untreated, may develop into cancer. Screening is for people without symptoms as a preventative measure.

“The screening test is relatively simple, takes about five minutes and is performed by the practice nurse at your GP surgery. 95 per cent of results will be normal and of those that aren’t, the vast majority can be treated very easily and will never develop into cancer.

“I urge women who may have received a letter and decided not to attend to reconsider and make an appointment – it really is very quick, it could prevent you needing more invasive treatment later on and could ultimately save your life.”

What is cervical screening?

Cervical screening is a way of preventing cancer by finding and treating abnormal cell changes in the neck of the womb (cervix). These changes could lead to cancer if left untreated.

The screening uses a test called cytology, which many people may know as the smear test. In some cases, the samples are also tested for the human papilloma virus (HPV). This virus increases the risk of cervical cancer.

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Who has cervical screening?

The NHS cervical screening programme invites women from ages 25 to 64 for cervical screening. Women aged 25 to 49 are invited every 3 years. After that, women are invited every five years until the age of 64.

You need to be registered with a GP to get your screening invitations.

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Why don’t younger women have screening?

Research shows that cervical cancer is very rare in women younger than 25. But changes in the cervix are quite common in younger women. So screening them leads to unnecessary treatment and worry.

Scientists have worked out that screening younger women leads to more harms than benefits.

What happens at a cervical screening test?

The screening test involves taking a sample of cells from the surface of the cervix. The test is called liquid based cytology (LBC).

To have the test you take off your underwear and lie on your back on a couch. You need to lie with your knees drawn up and spread apart. If this position is difficult for you, you can ask your doctor or nurse to take the cell sample when you are lying on your side with your knees drawn up.

To take the sample of cells, your doctor or nurse gently slides an instrument called a speculum into your vagina so that they can see the cervix clearly. Having the speculum put in may be a little uncomfortable, but it shouldn't hurt. It can be more uncomfortable if you are very tense. Try to relax. Taking a few deep breaths can help.

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Your doctor or nurse gently scrapes the surface of your cervix with a small soft brush. This collects a sample of cells from the outer layer of the cervix. They put the sample into a pot of liquid and send it to the laboratory. Then they take out the speculum and the test is over. You can get down from the couch.

In the laboratory, a pathologist looks at the sample under a microscope. They examine the cells and report any abnormal ones. They may also test to see if HPV is in the sample.

What is HPV testing?

In the next couple of years, primary HPV testing will be rolled out across England and Wales. This means that they will test the sample of cells for HPV first. If HPV is found, they will then test for cell changes.

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What is the HPV vaccination?

Since 2008, girls aged 12 and 13 have been offered a vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV). The vaccine can prevent over 70% of cervical cancers.

It is important for girls to have the vaccination when it is offered at school. But there are many types of HPV linked to cervical cancer. Although the vaccine protects against the 2 types that cause most cases of cervical cancer, it doesn't protect against all of them. This means that screening is still important for girls who have been vaccinated.